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The Word Is Out: George Clooney Has Optioned My Smothers Brothers Book
December 10, 2011  | By David Bianculli
 
Smothers-vaudeville-tiffany.jpg

When I wrote Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,' I thought the story of Tom and Dick Smothers, and their clashes with CBS over the content of their groundbreaking TV variety series, had a lot to say that was pertinent to these times, as well as illuminating about the Sixties.

I'm very, very proud to say that George Clooney thinks so, too:

He and his Smokehouse Pictures partner Grant Heslov have optioned my 2009 book, signing on as producers and teaming with Sony with plans to produce and release a movie version.

For several reasons, which I'm about to enumerate, I couldn't be more thrilled...

First, I'm thrilled on behalf of Tom and Dick, whose story deserves to be told and retold, and whose efforts to inject topicality into scripted TV comedy in the 1960s led very directly to the sort of thing Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Bill Maher are doing today. (If you think of the book, as I do, as the perfect parental holiday gift, click HERE to buy it!)

But I'm also thrilled because, when the book was still in galleys and I was asked by the film-division agent at my literacy agency to name my dream filmmaker for a Smothers Brothers movie, I said two words.

smothers-vaudeville-jacket-.jpg

One was George.

The other was Clooney.

Official word on the deal was broken Friday night by Nikki Finke's Deadline website, by New York editor Mike Fleming, in a story you can read HERE.

But back in 2009, Laurie Fox, my long-time agent from the Linda Chester Literary Agency (who had been waiting for me to stop researching and start writing Dangerously Funny for more than a decade), took me to lunch with Steve Fisher, the agency's specialist in film adaptations of literary properties. It was he who asked me to play pretend, and think best-case-scenario -- which, as anyone who knows me will attest, is the exact opposite of my regular mindset.

(Thanks, Laurie. Thanks, Steve. Thanks, Linda. And thanks, once again, Tom and Dick.)

Why were George Clooney and Grant Heslov at Smokehouse my dream team?

good-night-and-good-luck-st.jpg

Easy:

Clooney and Heslov had co-written 2005's Good Night and Good Luck, and Clooney had directed it, as well as played a supporting role on-screen. That movie starred David Strathairn as broadcast news pioneer Edward R. Murrow, at the pivotal time in TV history when, as anchor of the CBS newsmagazine See It Now, he had the bravery to stand up against out-of-control Communist "hunter" Sen. Joseph McCarthy.

As an associate professor at New Jersey's Rowan University, I now teach courses on TV history -- and comparing Clooney and Heslov's movie version to the actual 1954 See It Now telecast is one of the highlights each term. I teach, and my students tend to agree, that Good Night and Good Luck is an amazingly faithful version not only of the original program, but of its intent, as well as its importance.

Murrow-See-IOt-Now.jpg

One student, while raving about Strathairn's cinematic performance as Murrow, said he thought the real Murrow's See It Now performance was even better -- because it was live, with no retakes possible, and with so much at stake career-wise.

"Murrow," that student said admiringly, using a phrase I'll never forget, "was a smooth-ass pimp."

Clooney and Heslov knew exactly why the Murrow-McCarthy clash was so meaningful, and also knew exactly how to make it both narratively dramatic and historically accurate. And since Clooney and Heslov did so well with one of the biggest CBS controversies of the Fifties, why shouldn't they be trusted with one of the biggest CBS TV controversies of the Sixties?

And in classes, I've shown other Clooney TV work as well, including his fascinating, successful attempt to emulate the Golden Age live television dramas by mounting a live CBS version of Fail Safe in 2000.

But having me choose Clooney and Heslov, and have them choose my book, are two different things entirely.

And now they've both happened.

Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman are attached as screenwriters, and now the project is, as they say, in the pipeline.

neil_patrick.jpg

And since my first best-case scenario wish came true, how about another round, with one piece of dream casting? As Tommy Smothers, a role that requires comic timing, a good singing voice and a lot of dramatic range, as well as the right look: Neil Patrick Harris.

Thousands of things can happen, or not happen, from this point forward -- but just to get this far, with these people, is an achievement of which I'm very proud.

George Clooney, like Edward R. Murrow, is a smooth-ass pimp.

 

18 Comments

 

Eileen said:

All good things do come to he who waits -- and he who deserves them the most.

What a wonderful Christmas present for you, and vicariously for we, your faithful readers, who have followed your book's progress.

Just wonderful news. Couldn't have happened to a nicer person. Please, keep us all posted on continuing developments. We can't have you "going all Hollywood" on us.

[You're our #1 reader here at TVWW, so it figures you'd be the #1 commenter. Thanks for all the good wishes, as well as all the wonderful comments over the years. And don't worry. If there's a Bianculli in danger of going Hollywood, it'll be the other one on this website. - DB]

Comment posted on December 10, 2011 1:03 PM


elise said:

Congratulations!!!

Been thinking about buying this book for my dad for a long time.... This news finally pushed me off the fence! (I remember watching the shows with him when I was a kid...with no clue about the undercurrent. I will have to read the book before I give it to him!) Will you consider personalizing it if I cover the postage??

Happy Holidays!!!!!

[I probably shouldn't put this in print here, but absolutely. If you want to send a book, I'll sign it, and be unlike my usual self so you'll get it back for the holidays. Thanks! From me, not your dad. - DB]

Comment posted on December 10, 2011 1:19 PM


Dan said:

Congratulations Dave, you deserve this!
All the best to you and this project. It was an excellent book about an interesting episode in the history of broadcast television. I urge all to read this book!
It will make a fascinating movie.
I cannot wait.

Comment posted on December 10, 2011 2:19 PM


Brian G. Miller said:

As a long-time fan of the Smothers Brothers (saw them live in Pittsburgh in 1965 - and again in Greensburg in 2009) I quickly grabbed your book and read it cover-to-cover in 1 day.
Congrats on the book and here's hoping the movie will come to be.
You are right - there ARE issues that are as timely now as they were then.
Good luck!

Brian

Comment posted on December 10, 2011 2:59 PM


ericg said:

Eileen: I'll have David's people be in touch with you on the next Smothers Brother's update. Stand by.

Comment posted on December 10, 2011 3:16 PM


Colleen said:

Brilliant! And as usual, Eileen has spoken most eloquently for the peanut gallery. Congratulations!!

(And I am totally with you on the NPH casting. He would be amazing.)

Comment posted on December 10, 2011 4:48 PM


Tausif Khan said:

Congratulations!

I can't wait to see a picture of you in one of those Hawaiian shirts at a movie premiere soon!

[Looking for me at the End of Days would be a better bet. But there, too, I'd find a way to work a Hawaiian theme in there somewhere. - DB]

Comment posted on December 10, 2011 5:56 PM


Mark N said:

Dear David

All I can say is WHOO-HOO! So pleased for you, my favorite television (and other things) writer. As noted, heck of a Christmas present. And Boy-o-boy did you score with both with your wish for the producers and your actually getting your wish. They have a great track record. As always, thanks for being there. Your faithful reader...Mark

PS I'm getting your book for Christmas as a present. Really looking forward to it.

[I'm very grateful on both counts. WHOO-HOO to YOU-TOO! - DB]

Comment posted on December 10, 2011 6:29 PM


Peggy said:

This is such exciting news! I'm so happy for you. I can hardly wait for your interview on Fresh Air with George. Too bad about personalizing, I've already purchased your book for my brother! I'd pert near buy another one for myself, but I refuse to deal with the devil (Amazon) sorry, David. xoxo!

[A Fresh Air Clooney interview? That's counting way too many dozens of unhatched chickens. Besides, he'd go straight into the express lane and head for Terry. I'm happy enough that later this month, Terry's scheduled to interview ME -- for our annual Year-in-TV talk. I really enjoy doing that. - DB]

Comment posted on December 10, 2011 8:00 PM


Carina said:

Congratulations! That's fantastic news. I can't wait to watch the movie.

[That's the sort of optimism that put men on Neptune. But it makes me smile anyway. Thanks a lot. - DB]

Comment posted on December 11, 2011 3:10 AM


Mac said:

Congrats, Dave. Finally, all of the unpaid commenters here get a piece of the action. Right? Personally, I'd like my owed two cents delivered as pre-1982 pennies for potential melting should the government stop the manufacture of the one cent piece. And note, that at that rate, you owe Eileen at least $17.38.
Seriously, the commenters over at Deadline certainly are a mixed lot, but the idea of Daniel Tosh as Tommy is interesting. Tosh seems to channel Tommy's "mischevious little boy" look as part of his schtick. And he does have that youth following so popular with the investor folk. But, yeah, NPH is the most versatile guy alive in American entertainment and still this would be a challenge to him (well, after playing second fiddle to those @#$%in' Smurfs). Also,cameos from Tom, Dick, Steve Martin and others involved in the original era (showing up in unexpected roles) could bring in some rubber neckers to watch the story. And you could do a walk on as Jack Gould, sure to get the NPR fans (like me) in line to see you on the silver screen. A change of pace from our usual mix of Transformers movies and Fast & Furious sequels. "You liked him on Craig Ferguson! Now, you'll love him in the role he was meant to own! No one seated after the first fifteen minutes! At select 3-D and IMAX theatres."

[Lots of laughs here -- thanks! I love it when you ask for a piece of this still-in-the-sky pie -- don't think there aren't some actual TVWW contributors staking the same claim. The casting and cameo ideas are intriguing, too... but a cameo by me? I'm no Alfred Hitchcock, except, sadly, I could fill out his line-drawing physique outline without much effort these days. "Good eeeeeve-ning." But hey, that's the most delightfully ridiculous reason I can think of how starting, and sticking to, a new diet: "I'm losing weight for the movie." Ha! See? Another laugh! Thanks again. - DB]

Comment posted on December 11, 2011 5:57 AM


Marlark said:

Wowie wow wow! What terrific news. David, I couldn't be happier for you. When this film gets made -- and it will be -- it will be a Movie Worth Watching!

Thankie thanks thanks! I couldn't be happier for me either. Odd feeling. But a nice one. - DB]

Comment posted on December 11, 2011 1:06 PM


Neil said:

Men on Neptune? More like clowns on Uranus. You're about to be dealing with (bum-bum-bummm) Hollywood.

This is very good news. I've added an entry into my iCal to start watching for this film in 2015. You wrote a really good, well-researched book (which I read just a few weeks after it was released, and my wife barreled through shortly thereafter). And the story deserves to be told for the MTV/Youtube/"I don't read no stinkin' books" generation. Unfortunately, most of them will be in theater #3 watching Fast and Furious 26

Now, for extra credit, how about doing a blog entry on why it's so often CBS, of all the networks, that creates these controversies. Even though the other guys have their occasional scandals (e.g., NBC's phony exploding trucks on Dateline a couple of decades back), there seems to have been a thread running through the history of CBS that makes them more susceptible to controversy. Besides See It Now and the McCarthy programs, and the Smothers Brothers drama, I can recall CBS Reports doing Harvest of Shame, 60 Minutes and the Jeffrey Wygant/Brown & Williamson story and subsequent lawsuit, the General Westmoreland lawsuit regarding Vietnam, and I'm undoubtedly forgetting more than a few others.

I have my own theory, but I'd love to hear your take on the matter.

And again, congrats on getting the book optioned. It couldn't happen to a nicer guy, or one more deserving of being able to afford nicer shirts.

[Et tu, Neil? But thanks, much. CBS management was completely different for the two eras (Smothers, Harvest for one, post-Paley for the other), so I have no overarching theories. But I do have a theory about "Clowns on Uranus." Isn't that, to borrow a common punch line from Craig Ferguson, the name of a porn film I saw once? - DB]

Comment posted on December 11, 2011 2:01 PM


Peggy said:

David, I meant an interview conducted by Terry with you and George.

On an unrelated note, I heard on npr news that box office sales were lower for the weekend than the two weeks following the 9/11 attacks. That is truly hard to believe.

[Peggy, thanks for the clarification. But believe me, if Terry had Clooney on the schedule, I'd be duly and properly relegated to my normal spot outside the studio, passing out doughnuts and searching for spare hugs. - DB]

Comment posted on December 11, 2011 9:09 PM


Len F. said:

Mazeltov!! Does this mean that I will get a cameo in the Pat Paulsen segment??

[Thanks, Len. Yeah, why don't we both start holding our breath now. Ready? Set?... - DB]

Comment posted on December 12, 2011 10:48 AM


Jasmine said:

Congratulations, Professor B.! That's so exciting!

[Thanks! Now back to the grindstone. It's Finals Week... - Prof. B]

Comment posted on December 12, 2011 12:40 PM


Pippa said:

Wow, great news! Already looking forward to this movie.

Neil Patrick Harris would be a great pick, will his contract with CBS be a problem, though?

Lots of luck!

[Thanks. The real problem here is them actually MAKING the movie. I just put Neil Patrick Harris out there as my own wish-list pick. My two cents, and worth about as much. - DB]

Comment posted on December 12, 2011 4:14 PM


Rich Huff said:

is it too soon to start hounding you for tickets to the opening?

Congrats and good luck.

[Rich! My old boss! You can start hounding me for tickets in person, when you, Marisa and I have our going-away dinner. The dinner, and the movie premiere, are about as likely to occur.

But have your people call my people. Let's catch up. And don't worry about not having gotten the last two years of Christmas letters and CDs. No one has. They're in the other room, stacked up with all the other "urgent" stuff in my to-do pile.

You know me and deadlines...

Thanks for writing. To me, I mean. -- DB]

Comment posted on December 22, 2011 8:08 PM
 
 
 
 
 
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